Energy efficient lighting alternatives for in and around the home

October 8, 2012 by

Our dependence on light is truly astonishing. Even in the summer months we find ourselves turning on lights around the home as we move from one room to another simply because it has gone a little duller outside. We use our lights even more in the winter as evenings draw in earlier and earlier and mornings seem to start later and later. Of course it is impractical to sit in darkness but we can become more efficient in the way we use the lights around our home. Not only would this mean that you stand to save money on electricity bills but that you can make your contribution to the environment at the same time.

The amount of electricity you use to power your lightingA significant proportion of your bill is made up of the electricity you use to power your lights. If you are failing to turn light switches off as you leave a room then you are quite simply opting to spend more money on a commodity you don’t require. You might imagine that this would only amount to pennies, but over the course of a year you could save yourself quite a substantial figure. The savings you stand to make would be significantly increased if you replace your bulbs with more energy efficient alternatives.

Why energy efficient alternatives are actually an investmentMany people are discouraged by energy efficient bulbs because of the initial outlay but they truly are an investment. You can save yourself money in two ways. Energy efficient bulbs last longer than ordinary bulbs and use less electricity. If you begin to replace your bulbs one by one as they blow then you won’t notice the cost at the outset but you certainly will over the long run, and especially when you receive your first bill.

Trialling energy efficient light bulbs in the homeIf you aren’t convinced then the advice would be to give it a go for a few months and compare your energy bills. Look at your bill from the same time the year before if you are able to, or if not, compare it to the month before when day light hours were comparatively similar. If the difference is noticeable then you have saved yourself money and become more energy efficient. This should give you all the incentive you need to eventually replace all of your bulbs around the house with energy efficient alternatives.

Other ideas for becoming more energy efficientThere are other ways you can reduce the amount of electricity you use to power your lights too. Keeping the curtains open and choosing curtains that are opaque yet made of thinner material so that more natural light can get into the house. Choose lighter colours in your decoration to cascade light through the room. Your décor won’t mean that you won’t need to turn your lights on when it gets dark but it might help stave off the darkness in late evening time so that you don’t need to turn your lights on quite so early. On duller days when there isn’t much natural daylight to be had, lighter décor can make quite a bit of difference around the home.

Finding out more about energy efficient alternativesThere are plenty of helpful tips you can try to reduce your dependence on electric light sources, most of which you can find online. There is also plenty of good sources of information on which energy efficient alternatives work best and where you can get some great deals.